Carton



. J. W. COX

Sept. 4, 1945.

CARTON Filed March 1, 1943 0/ g w w Hi1 I5: I15: fl 1; n u 2 w 52] u u Q IN V EN TOR. v Jofzr 775.0%,

Patented Sept. 4, 1945 CARTON John W. Cox, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Self-Loci ing Carton Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Ill inois Application March 1, 1943, Serial No. 477,527 229-29) 1 Claim.

This invention relates to cellular cartons of the types which are fabricated from sheet material, such as paper board, and are suitable for the packaging of eggs or other fragile articles.

A general object of the invention is the provision of such cartons suitable for the packaging of eggs, which can be manufactured very economically of light paper board and yet have adequate strength against crushing pressures, suitable rigidity against weaving or twisting distortion, and in which the closure is etfectively retained in closed position yet may be opened and closed readily and repeatedly when desired, without mutilation of any of the parts.

A particular object of the invention is a reduction in the amount of sheet material required for a collapsible egg carton in which separate cross partition members are combined and interlocked with body members.

For an understanding of the nature and advantages of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which I show, merely for purpose of illustration, one of the forms in which the invention may be embodied. In the drawing:

Fig. l is a plan-view showing duplicate body blanks for forming a bottom, side walls and cover for a carton embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view illustrating a preferred form of transverse partition;

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the blanks of Fig. 1 partly folded and disposed side-by-side in partly assembled relationship with transverse partitions like those shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view illustrating a completed, filled and closed carton.

Referring more specifically to Fig. 1 of the drawing, there is illustrated generally at In two rectangular body blanks used in producing a preferred form of carton embodying the present invention. These blanks are duplicates and each is provided with score lines II, l2, l3 and H to demark panels constituting a longitudinal partition panel I 6, a. bottom panel ll, side wall ill, a cover panel l9 and tuck flaps 20. A series of aligned slots 2| is cut through the bottom panel ll.

In Fig. 2 is shown a transverse or cross partition 23 which is slotted medially from its top edge downward as indicated at 24. About midway of the slot there is provided a retaining lug or locking means 26 extending across it. At the side edges of the cross partition are upwardly opening inclined slots 26 and 21. A number of such cross partitions corresponding to thenumber of partition slots 2| of a body blank is provided for each carton.

In Fig. 3 the pair of body blanks and seven.

cross partitions are shown in an assembled relationship wherein the body blanks Ill have, been folded along score lines 42-12 and placed side by side with their partition panels lG-Hi, and likewise their bottom panels Il- -ll., in upstanding positions and in face contact with each other. The partition panels it are retained in this relationship by means of the cross partitions 23, which have been inserted endwise through the slots 2| of the body blanks while the latter arein surface contact and in register with each other back-to-back, and the cross partitions have been moved upwardly to engage the partition panels IS in the lower portions of the medial slots 24 below the retaining lugs 25. With the parts in the relationship shown in Fig. 3, thecross partitions can be swung into surface engagement with the longitudinal partition panels l6 and with portions of the cross partitions overlapping one another, and the body blanks can then be folded on one or more of the lines iii in any manner desired, whereby to reduce the carton to a flat collapsed condition suitable for packaging and shipment to the customer and ready to be erected for use.

The setting up or erecting is accomplished by unfolding the top and side panels of the two body blanks and drawing the bottom panels ll apart from each other, whereby the cross partitions 23 are caused automatically to assume positions wherein they extend at right angles to the longitudinal partition panels [6, as shown in Fig. 3. Then the side walls ii are swung upwardly along the lateral margins of the cross partitions and the end margins of the slots 2| are engaged in the downwardly inclined slots 26 and 21 of the cross partitions, thus locking the body blanks and cross partitions together as shown in Fig. 4.

When the carton has been thus set up, it is ready for filling, as the cover panels is still extend upwardly from wall panels l8. After filling, the cover panels is are swung inwardly and the tuck flaps 20 are slipped into the upper portions of the slots 24, where their edges come to rest substantially in contact with the lugs 25, and said tuck flaps are entirely above in alignment with the partition panels l6 and cooperate with them to form longitudinal partitions between the cells or compartments of the opposite body members.

Accordingly, it will be observed that in the fully but approximately,

set-up and closed form of the carton, it presents two collateral rows of cells, the respective rows being enveloped by the respective body blanks and both rows being partitioned by the cross partition members which are interlocked with the two body blanks in such fashion that abutting wall portions of the latter form lower portions of a longitudinal partition between the two rows while the tuck flaps form a cooperating upper portion of such longitudinal partition. It will be observed also that the cross partitions are dennitely locked in place by means of the lugs 15 so that they cannot be withdrawn downwardly through the slots II ofthe body members, and that the cross partition members hold the body members in properly distended form to accom modate the eggs and support the outer wall portions and cover portions against crushing pressures. The covers are retained closed with sumcient security to permit either to be swung open without disturbing the other, and they may be opened and closed repeatedly without involving any mutilation of any of the parts. It will be observed also that the securing of the tuck flaps and the formation of the longitudinal partitionare accomplished without any overlapping of either of the body'members upon itself, this making for conservation of the sheet material from which the body blanks are cut.

What'li claim is:

A cellular carton comprising a pair of body blanks each creased and bent on parallel longitudinal fold lines to form a relatively narrow partition panel, a bottom panel, a side wall panel, a cover panel and a relatively wide tuck flap, the bottom panel and a portion of the side panel being provided with a plurality of identical parallel slots extending transversely thereof, each slot traversing the entire width of the bottom panel and a substantial portion of the width of the aforesaid side wall panel; and a plurality of cross partition members each provided with a medial slot extending downwardly from its upper margin, said partition members having a retaining member extending transversely of the medial slot and dividing the same into upper and lower portions of vertical dimensions substantially equal to the widths of the tuck flap and partition panel respectively; the two body blanks being disposed with their partition panels in side by side relation and retained in the lower portions of the medial slots of the cross partition members, the lower portions of the cross partition members extending through the bottom panel slots and, when the carton is closed, the tuck flaps being retained in side by side engagement in the upper portions of said medial slots in approximate vertical alignment with the partition panels.

JOHN W. COX. 

